Sales Representative: You Can be Happy in Sales

Introduction
I have been an independent sales rep for 36 years. Contrary to the stereotype, a sales person needn't be pushy or aggressive. A sales person must enjoy speaking with other people, must not be afraid to meet new people, and must be an exceptionally good listener. He or she must be logical and sympathetic. And especially if one is an independent rep, he/she must be organized and self-motivated. An independent rep does not have a boss telling him (or her) what to do every day.

Job Function
I work in an area which both involves selling a product and then providing support during the year. I have one chance a year to get a contract (I print yearbooks for high schools and college) and during the remainder of the year, I show the customer (students and faculty advisor alike) how to prepare the work for printing, how to use computer software, how to make deadlines, etc.

I am also the middleman between the customer and the printing plant. For me, I would not be happy if all I did all day long was sell-the need to acquire ongoing knowledge as technology changes the industry and the need to communicate what I know to the customer in an on-going relationship is more interesting to me than the sales aspect of my job. Advertisement
Lifestyle
In the beginning, I worked more and harder than as time went on. Or perhaps I was just less smart about my work. I had to built a base of customers (who generally re-sign contracts with me). At one point, I worked with more customers than I could comfortably provide the kind of service I wished to provide. I cut back on sales and with some modest attrition, the number of people I ended up working with got to a manageable size.

As an independent rep, I have my own office (which is in my home). It took me a long time to feel comfortable with the fact that I often worked Saturday and Sunday and I could, in good conscience, take a weekday off. It also took time for me to be able to say, when someone asked for an appointment on a day when I was totally free, that I could not meet with them that day.

As I mention above, if you work for yourself, especially in sales, you have to be self-motivated. And as in any sales position, you really should believe in what you are selling. In my case, 3/4 of what I am selling is my service-and I believe that I know a great deal that I can share to make life easier for someone else. FYI, as I segue into retirement and am down to only 14 customers, over 70% of them have worked with me for over 20 years and a few have worked with me since the second year I was in business, or nearly 35 years ago.

Additional Information
I firmly believe that whatever career one chooses, it takes time to settle into it. If after a few years one always feels down, has feelings of inadequacy, has a rain cloud over his or her head-first, seek counseling to see if it is you or your environment. If you determine that it is your environment, change it by changing your career or your employer. Not every day is going to be a successful one and happiness is not euphoria-but every day, one should have a certain contentment and peace of mind that will only occur if one is at peace with oneself and with how one spends his or her time.